A guide to help insurance agencies improve communication with their staff and insurers over technology and workflow issues has been produced by the ACORD-User Groups Information Exchange (AUGIE).

ACORD said it created the "Productive Agency Visits by Insurance Carrier Marketing Reps: A Guide to Improved Communications on Workflow & Technology" in a bid to encourage discussions.

According to Pearl River, N.Y.-based ACORD, the guidebook is designed to help principals communicate to their own staff key workflow and technology issues.

It is also meant to improve communications between agencies (owners and staff) and carrier field representatives, said Mike Bergstein, who headed the working group of volunteers who developed it.

"Too many agency owners and their staffs still don't recognize that their business lives can improve dramatically with so many tools available today," said Mr. Bergstein, vice president of The Capacity Group, a Mahwah, N.J.-based agency.

"Our collective job as vendors, carriers and AUGIE--their fellow agents--is to continue to reach out to these agencies," said Mr. Bergstein, adding, "We need to touch more than just the agency principal; this is a desktop-to-desktop battle to change behavior."

The online guidebook includes checklists for carriers and agents designed to help make meetings more valuable, said ACORD. It includes a form the agency can fax or e-mail to the carrier prior to the next visit to help the carrier prepare for the meeting and create an agenda.

According to Mr. Bergstein, the guidebook addresses some of the differences AUGIE has identified among the parties. For example, carriers complain they build new processes but agents often don't use them. In turn, agents say download and real-time interface are not being accomplished as fast as they would like to see.

He said agents are frustrated when their automation system doesn't accomplish all that they hoped it would. The AUGIE guide suggests: "Could it be--at least in part--that nobody is teaching them how to maximize the use of their technology?"

"Too often," the guidebook adds, "carrier-marketing reps ask for growth from the agency but are not equipped to get in the trenches with the service employees who are placing the bulk of this business." Often, said ACORD, this is because they don't have a working knowledge of the technology provided by their own employer, nor do they understand the various agency management systems that enable real-time communications.

The AUGIE guide urges senior carrier executives to evaluate the field position and align talent with responsibilities that will make a difference in the future.

Field reps, the guide says, should be prepared to discuss how the agency's technology system communicates with the carrier's system and makes uploading, downloading and real-time interface work.

ACORD said field reps should be prepared to meet and work with agency customer service reps.

Agency owners should take a more assertive role in their relationships with carrier field reps, the AUGIE guide says. Agencies should set aside a specific time for field reps to come in and address questions developed by agency staff on a range of issues.

It also advises that questions should be delivered in advance to offer a chance to research answers, if necessary. After the meetings, agency leadership should review findings and set priorities for agency-company relationships for the next year.

The guide adds that agencies must define and communicate their expectations and provide positive reaction when those expectations are met. For instance, agency owners who decide their overriding goal is to conduct business in real time should communicate that to companies and vendors, and should reward them by fully implementing vendor and carrier technology offerings.

Special Reports /

AUGIE Issues Insurer, Agency Communications Guidebook

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